Title

Overwriting exiting database on iPad -- additional help please

Post

thanks for posting the original question about this as I had the same query!

But I was also wondering the following...

sometimes I will make a change to the FM Go file; sometimes to the desktop file. If I bring the desktop file to my iPad, is there a way to compare it to the existing Go file and just accept the new desktop changes to the Go file? Or do I have to keep track of what changes I made to the Go file, make them on the desktop as well, then bring the now "desktop and GO edited file" back over to the iPad. Hope that wasn't entirely confusing. I just got FM 12 and Go about 6 weeks ago so am totally new to this.

The best option is to use the desktop computer as a server and open the file remotely using Filemaker Go. Now there is no syncying issue. This works with Wi-Fi and Cellular.

Next best is to use a syncrhonizing script to update the data on the various copies of the file. Commercial files which do this are complex and expensive. If you write your own its cheap and easy...for me. A syncrhonizing script makes life easier.

Last and dangerous is to transfer the last used file to the other device or computer. This is dangerous because you might over write the latest file with the oldest by mistake.

iTunes, download it if you don't have it, is used to transfer copies of your file from your computer to your IOS devices and from your IOS devices to your computer.

You can import into Go from Pro but you can't import from Go into Pro.

You can import into Go from Pro but you can't import from Go into Pro.

@Jack, Ever tried this approach? I'd test it myself if I had the hardware for it and am curious if it would work:

Define the Go copy of the file to include Table occurrences with external data source references to the tables in the hosted copy of the file.

Use import records to import records with the tables in Go specified as the source tables and the Table occurrences that reference the hosted file in Pro as the target tables. This does the whole import from within GO, but the data should end up in the hosted file.

Newbie here, but to the original poster, are you the only one who uses this file? This is the situation I have--only user. I put my FM database in Dropbox, and open and use it on the desktop , iPhone, iPad--of course backing up the desktop on a different file, and a flash drive.

The only problem on the portable devices, is you have to go to dropbox first, open it. Of course it doesnt open until you click the "open with" button, then pick Filemaker Go. If you just go to FM Go, it will open the older file.

This obviously isnt the best, and definately not the smoothest way to go, but it works for me.